The New York City book publisher arranged to use money raised in her memory to buy up the medical debt of others – and then pay it off, according to a website which assisted her philanthropic effort and as of Friday had collected nearly all of her six-figure goal.
“A note to my friends: If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” read a recent post on McIntyre’s account at X – the social media platform formerly known as Twitter – which partly served to detail her campaign. “I’m so sorry. It’s horseshit and we both know it. The cause was stage four ovarian cancer.”
After describing how much she, her family and her friends loved each other, McIntyre’s account linked to her campaign at RIP Medical Debt’s website. Her accompanying farewell message added: “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debt and then destroy the debt. I am so lucky to have had access to the best medical care at [the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York] and am keenly aware that so many in our country don’t have access to good care.”
I’ve argued in a few other posts with people who say shit like “Do you have access to healthcare? Did a hospital turn you away?”
My answer to them is to go fuck yourselves, all of you shitty rude “fuck you, I got mine, pull yourself up by your bootstraps” motherfuckers.
What we have access to isn’t healthcare for one. It’s sick-care, as the notion of leveraging preventative care is laughable for the majority of Americans as high deductible plans have resorted to more cost cutting measures that are ultimately self defeating. What we are left with is the specter of financial ruin hanging over every health concern we experience in our lives. People go from their 30’s into their 40’s and forego exams, put off any procedures, and often wait until it’s far too late to treat something entirely preventable.
Last year a video got very popular when a guy was hanging up lights and fell of his ladder, tweaking his leg. His awesome neighbor came running over asking him not to move, and shouting out to another bystander to call an ambulance, as it was very clear he damaged his leg if not breaking it. As soon as the victim heard the words “call an ambulance” he snaps up declaring that he’s fine, and there’s no need. 50 years ago it would have been perfectly acceptable and find for the average person to get medical attention for a fall like that.
Look at the most recent healthcare worker’s strike over the simple fact that they themselves cannot afford many of the procedures they themselves perform.
The United States is in a second gilded age, and we need to rake the wealthy over the coals. If we continue to have only prosperity for a small few, then those few are going to find their heads in baskets soon.